Review

Perhaps the most famous hotel in the world, The Savoy reopened in 2010 after a three-year, £100m+ refurbishment. While the rest of the hotel now sparkles with the polish of a Las Vegas casino, to the relief of bar aficionados the American Bar was merely given a lick of paint and a new carpet and looks practically unchanged from its last makeover.

It claims to be the oldest surviving cocktail bar in England, having opened in 1893 in the original riverside part of the hotel, moving to this location in 1904.

The black and white photos on the walls and in glass cases attest to the American Bar's place in history - not only was this Frank Sinatra's home from home when he was in the country, this was the home of world-renowned bartenders, from Ada Coleman and Harry Craddock, author of The Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930, to Joe Gilmore, Peter Dorelli and Erik Lorincz.